Nickel supplier behind 1857 cent lobbying

Who else besides the silver miners were involved in lobbying for favorable legislation?

Nickel supporters formed a significant group. The single supplier, Joseph Wharton, was responsible for lobbying the copper-nickel cent of 1857, the 3-cent nickel in 1865 and the 5-cent nickel in 1866.

How many quarters came out with just the 1976 date?

That’s a question that’s impossible to answer. The point is that if they had been spotted and counted they would not have been released. The class is a major die break caused by part of the face of the die with the 1776 date breaking away.

I’d like to prepare an exhibit for the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money. How do I go about it?

First get a copy of the rules. You can write for them or go to the ANA Web site at www.money.org. Use the search box to find exhibit rules. Follow the instructions exactly. The judges will bend over backwards to help you, but if you ignore the rules there’s little they can do.

What is the number known of the 1825/24 half eagle overdates?

There are two known examples, one in the Eliasberg collection, the second in the Nathan Kaufman collection. The latter was sold by Bowers & Ruddy in 1982 for $200,000. The current listing is $350,000.

I want to donate some coins to a tax exempt club. How do I go about it.

First you need a written appraisal to establish the value. The club cannot appraise them for you. There have been changes in the tax laws affecting donations, so you will need to consult with your tax preparer.

Have they stopped making coin folders and albums? All I can find are used.

The manufacturers are still making and selling both albums and coin boards. Your dealer probably is overstocked. A rash of new folders greeted the state quarters, for example.

What’s the difference between the Canadian mint sets and specimen sets?

The specimen sets contain better quality coins. To quote the Royal Canadian Mint, “the very best struck by a pair of dies.” I’m sure the Swiss Mint would argue the point.

Are there any other periods besides the turn of the century when the Mint was buying prepared coin blanks rather than making their own?

The practice continued on an irregular basis all through the 1900s. A contemporary report noted that the Philadelphia Mint in 1940 purchased 60 million cent blanks from the Riverside Metal Co. of Riverside, N.J. The current practice is to buy all the copper-plated zinc cent planchets from outside suppliers, and either blanks or strip for the other denominations.

Address questions to Coin Clinic, Numismatic News, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. Because of space limitations, we are unable to publish all questions. Include a loose 44-cent stamp for reply. Write first for specific mailing instructions before submitting numismatic material. We cannot accept unsolicited items. E-mail inquiries should be sent to Answerman2@aol.com.

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